Board approves notice of intent to create curriculum commission and formalize secondary course approval

The Clark County School District Board of Trustees on Oct. 9 approved notice of intent to amend Policy 61.21 and Regulation 61.21, a set of changes the district said will create a formal system for developing, revising and retiring secondary course offerings.

Chief Academic Officer Dustin Mansell introduced the proposals and turned the presentation to Elena Kreiner Wilson and Robert Jones, who described renaming the policy/regulation from "instructional program design and development" to "secondary course offerings," forming a curriculum commission composed of secondary administrators and licensed educators, and formalizing a process for submitting and approving course scope-and-goal documents.

Jones told the board the commission's responsibilities will "include review applications for new, revised, and retired secondary courses, review the course scope and goals that accompany the new and revised course applications, and approve and or deny applications for new, revised, and retired secondary courses through parliamentary procedures." Trustees asked about recruitment for commission seats, parent involvement and public posting of course changes; staff said interest forms are solicited from schools and the district will post course changes after each commission.

Trustee Linda Baron moved to approve Policy 61.21; Trustee Biasotti seconded. The motion passed 7-0. The board later approved the companion regulation 61.21 notice of intent by motion (moved by Trustee Biasotti; seconded by Trustee Dominguez) and vote 7-0.

Staff said there are currently 18 curriculum commissioners (nine secondary administrators and nine licensed teachers/counselors) and that the commission meets in spring and fall; the district will post revisions and retirement actions on the CCSD wire and consider additional ways to inform parents and counselors about course changes.